
Can you learn Japanese by solving puzzles? So to Speak is a game about wandering in Japan, looking at signs, overhearing conversations, and using context clues in the environment to figure out what it all means. No background in Japanese is assumed.
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About
Have you ever wanted to learn Japanese? Have you tried studying but feel like you aren't getting anywhere?
In So to Speak, you use context clues to guess the meaning of what you see and hear. Unlike other games and tools, meanings aren't revealed immediately. Every word is its own puzzle - to proceed, you must connect it to nearby objects or text with the same meaning. For example, you can drag a Japanese sign for "entrance" onto an actual building entrance located nearby or the English word "entrance" in the game's description of the entrance.
The game is a love letter to the Japanese language and the experience of wandering alone in another country. There are no drills, no fights, no minigames, and no distractions. The entire game is a series of situations, and each one helps you discover the meaning of something new.
Learn more than 650 words covering topics such as travel, nature, family, colors, numbers, time, and directions.
Explore cities, rural areas, gardens, and temples filled with signs and conversations to decipher along with clues to help you.
Grow your knowledge from simple words like "car" and "tree" to complex sentences like "The parking lot is for convenience store customers only."
Genres
Stats
All-time low is the lowest price we've recorded for this game since we started tracking it.
Languages: English
Engagement
Reviews
Themes across 45 recent reviews and how positive each mention is. A keyword signal, not full sentiment analysis.
Reviews
This game is something you can just casually play. Some of the words are hard to find, but because of the way you use them it makes it easy to remember certain kanji and words. Things like kawa, yama, iriguchi, deguchi, and stuff like that, you'll have those down ready to go.
This game is pretty good for learning basic Japanese vocabulary. The gameplay is a bit repetitive, which can be tedious at times, but it makes it even better for learning purposes. My only complaint is that I hate the chime sound effect when you get something correct. It's an irritating sound, it plays way too often, and it competes for the same aural frequency range as the voice clips (which play at the same time). It can't be disabled, and decreasing the relevant volume slider also decreases the volume of the speech. I find myself quitting after a few minutes because the sound is so awful. (And you hear it dozens of times per level.) The regular price is a bit too high for the amount of content, so I would get it when it's on sale.
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Hours played at review time, across 45 reviews with recorded playtime.
positive critical· bar length = how often the theme comes up
One of the best chill learning games I played, so fun and relaxing in addition to being educational.
nihongo o takusan benkyoushimashita kono geemu wa hontoni sugoi desuyo demo bokuno chinpo wa mou totemo chisai desu
i liked everything about this game. the only thing that's difficult is splitting up the words so I can associate the 2 to 3 letters of every hiragana, katakana, and kanji symbols with their meanings.
I found myself enjoying this game the whole way trough. It's relatively easy Japanese but at times challenges you with finding the correct words. Perfect for when you're just learning or want to try and upkeep your Japanese on the side. You can breeze trough with just the roman letter answers fort he speech bubbles or, like me, sink extra time in dragging the corresponding kana or kanji to the text. Language learning made fun and keeps your ADHD brain focused! Loved the whole experience! I found myself sinking more hours into this even after "finishing the game" trying to force the game give me the meaning of some kanji or trying to get all the kanas so I could replace all the roman alphabet in the game. Still missing some and not even sure if you can get them. I do wish that getting the hiragana wasn't as difficult as it is at times. Some of them just don't come up at all.
Enjoyable way to improve your Japanese. I've been learning Japanese for six months and it's all been very formal and grammar based and I've been very aware that's most of it is not how people typically talk. Then I found this beauty. It gives insight into more casual ways of speaking as well as teaching buckets of vocab. The user interface is easy to use and the art style is charming. Paring it with my formal studies has been fun and eye opening. Recommended!
[h1]Natürliches Japanisch‑Lernen mit starkem Kombinationssystem[/h1] [h2]TL;DR[/h2] So to Speak ist für mich eines der besten Lernspiele überhaupt. Das Kombinationssystem vermittelt Japanisch auf natürliche Weise, bei der man nicht nur auswendig lernt, sondern wirklich versteht. Jede Aufgabe fühlt sich wie echter Fortschritt an, und der Lernfluss bleibt durchgehend motivierend. Für mich ein herausragendes 10/10 Lernspiel. [h2]Atmosphäre und Einstieg[/h2] Der Einstieg ist klar und angenehm. Das Spiel erklärt seine Mechaniken verständlich, ohne den Lernprozess zu überladen. Die Präsentation ist ruhig, fokussiert und funktional, sodass man sich voll auf das Kombinieren und Verstehen konzentrieren kann. Die Atmosphäre bleibt durchgehend entspannt und unterstützt den Lernfluss hervorragend. [h2]Gameplay, Systeme und Progression[/h2] [h3]Spielstile und Flexibilität[/h3] So to Speak erlaubt verschiedene Herangehensweisen: analytisch, intuitiv oder experimentell. Die Freiheit entsteht durch die Art, wie Wörter, Partikel und Situationen miteinander verknüpft werden. Dadurch fühlt sich das Lernen organisch an und nicht wie ein starres Vokabeltraining. [h3]Progression und Charakterentwicklung[/h3] Die Progression ist eines der stärksten Elemente. Jede gelöste Aufgabe festigt das eigene Wissen spürbar, und man merkt mit jedem Schritt, wie sich das Verständnis für Grammatik, Satzbau und Kanji verbessert. Besonders stark ist das Gefühl, bereits Gelerntes sinnvoll einbauen zu können, was das Lernen enorm motivierend macht. [h3]Kampf und Bewegung[/h3] Es gibt keine Kämpfe oder Movement‑Mechaniken. Der Fokus liegt vollständig auf Denken, Kombinieren und Verstehen. Genau das macht das Spiel angenehm ruhig und konzentriert. [h2]Story, Welt und Präsentation[/h2] Das Spiel hat keine klassische Story, aber die Präsentation ist klar, übersichtlich und didaktisch sinnvoll aufgebaut. Die Lernkarten, Situationen und Aufgaben sind logisch strukturiert und unterstützen den natürlichen Lernfluss. Die Kombination aus visuellen Elementen und logischen Verknüpfungen sorgt dafür, dass man nicht nur lernt, sondern wirklich versteht. [h2]Kritikpunkte und Schwächen[/h2] Einige Aufgaben können knackig werden, besonders wenn man komplett bei Null anfängt. Ein gewisses Grundwissen hilft, um den vollen Nutzen aus dem System zu ziehen. Insgesamt bleibt das Erlebnis jedoch fair, motivierend und hervorragend durchdacht. [h2]Wer wird dieses Spiel mögen[/h2] Lernende, die Japanisch auf natürliche Weise verstehen wollen. Spieler, die gerne kombinieren, verknüpfen und Wissen spielerisch festigen. Leute, die ein ruhiges, aber motivierendes Lernspiel suchen, das echte Fortschritte vermittelt. [h2]Bewertung[/h2] 10 von 10. Ein herausragendes Lernspiel mit natürlichem Flow, cleverem Kombinationssystem und starkem Verständnisaufbau. [h2]Fazit[/h2] So to Speak vermittelt Japanisch auf eine Weise, die sich unglaublich natürlich anfühlt. Die Kombination aus Zeichen, Wörtern und Situationen sorgt dafür, dass man nicht nur auswendig lernt, sondern wirklich versteht. Jede Aufgabe fühlt sich wie echter Fortschritt an, und der Lernfluss bleibt durchgehend motivierend. Für mich eines der besten Lernspiele überhaupt und eine klare 10/10.
Я не понимаю для кого сделана эта игра. А именно: я владею хираганой и катаканой, знаю около 150 иероглифов, несколько сотен слов и базовые выражения. в игре: - нету русского и русификаторов! - Довольно странная и непонятная игра, просто находить нужные слова и подставлять под иероглифы. - Для начинающих слишком сложно, вы не поймете основные принципы формирования иероглифов, их глубокий смысл и как они должны применяться в японском языке (вместе с хираганой) - Для людей которые продвинуто или базово знают, тут все слишком просто, знакомые иероглифы повторять смысла нет. Если вы хотите игру в которой с нуля можно учится или наоборот продвинуться в обучении, я бы порекомендовал Wagatobi. Конечно стиль и графика там как будто из 80-ых, но если забить и сделать упор на обучение, то на графику быстро забываешь. Здесь же к сожалению просто бессмысленная обдираловка. Жалко что купил перед отпуском, а когда попробовал уже поздно было возвращать деньги( НЕ СОВЕТУЮ! I don't understand who this game is made for. Specifically: I speak hiragana and katakana, know about 150 kanji, several hundred words, and basic expressions. In the game: - There's no Russian or Russifiers! - A rather strange and incomprehensible game; you just have to find the right words and match them to the kanji. - It's too difficult for beginners; you won't understand the basic principles of kanji formation, their deep meaning, and how they should be used in Japanese (along with hiragana). - For people with advanced or basic knowledge, everything is too simple; there's no point in repeating familiar kanji. If you want a game that allows you to learn from scratch or, conversely, advance in your learning, I would recommend Wagatobi. Sure, the style and graphics are reminiscent of the 80s, but if you focus on learning, you'll quickly forget about the graphics. Unfortunately, this place is just a senseless rip-off. It's a shame I bought it before my vacation, and by the time I tried it, it was too late to get my money back. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND!
Very fun and entertaining way to learn many new words & phrases. Best to write down in notes what it tells you so you can keep learning them afterwards. Loved playing it and really liked how it ended.
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